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It is amazing.Amazes me to this day that that cathedral survived the bombings given all the destruction around it.
It looked beautiful from the river as well. Marvelous structure. Glad it didn't receive more damage than it did.It is a fabulous building, and the first thing you see walking out of the railway station. Compared to most European cathedrals it is actually quite new being completed in 1880.
It was actually hit by 14 bombs during the war, maybe its the vaulted structure but they are all much stronger than they look, or maybe they have a charmed life. Here is CaenIt looked beautiful from the river as well. Marvelous structure. Glad it didn't receive more damage than it did.
Just the city of Cologne named after the Roman Emperor Agrippa's wife Colonia.There must not have been much around the Cologne cathedral worth bombing.
I suspect the rail yards were a prime target in 1943.I think that was the cathedral where at a meeting with the RAF Gen Eaker said, "I'm sorry to have to report that we hit the cathedral at Cologne yesterday."
And RAF Marshall "Bomber" Harris replied, "Good! I've been aiming at the damn thing for a year!"
Actually, for the 8th AF mission hit to Munster railyards in October 1943, the aiming point was the cathedral, since the bomb strike area would tend to fall short and trail back, hitting the RR yards and the houses for the people who worked there.
There must not have been much around the Cologne cathedral worth bombing.
Yes. I crewed on two May 9th and 12th. Each trip was about 9 hours. The first was the day following end of the war and we drew flak when passing over a fortified Sub Pen in the North Sea. This Cathedral low level pass took place on the first trip.Bill:
Did y'all take the ground crews on a tour of Europe right after the end of the war?